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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
huh
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
I do so love this novel but must take off one star for the crushing despair of it all.
UNPOPULAR OPINIONS: I'm not even giving this a proper review because it left me so... underwhelmed. I just could not get myself invested in the story, I persisted and persisted and I just can't bring myself to care about the characters. There are some really nice pieces of writing but sometimes the long descriptives are just unnecessary and hamper the pace without really adding anything. The premise of tragedy and double sexual standards should appeal to me, but I just don't care. It is too moral, it seems more concerned with making its points and critiquing society than being readable. Unlike many, I can't get on board with this overly credulous, passive woman who I refuse to even describe as a heroine, I get the whole victim of fate narrative but the cows are less feckless than she is. This was an absolute chore for me to trudge through.
Melodramatic and lame - and also all I remember of the damn rape scene is fog. That's subpar writing if I ever saw it.
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death, Death, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Tess and Marian were the only loveable characters.
This is probably one of my favorite books I've had to read for school (it might even be my favorite so far). It was amazing and I found myself thinking throughout, how could Thomas Hardy have written such an incredible social/literary criticism that people living today might even have an issue with? Like it's so amazing that Hardy was able to write something like Tess that literally attacked the flawed way people thought at the time. So I appreciate the book for its criticism against how women were viewed in society and the double standard there, as well as religion and wealth, among other criticisms. I love a book that makes you think, and this book was full of metaphors, allusions, and symbolisms that made me think, but weren't so confusing that it was like reading in a different language. The characters were so well done; Tess as this kindhearted, innocent person we are rooting for the whole time; Alec as a hellish villain (yet a man we all have met in real life); and Angel as the other insufferable certified "nice-guy intellectual" man we've all met. Even though this was written a while ago, the themes and criticisms still stand today, which shows just how effective and well-written this book is. One of my favorite scenes was when Tess was portrayed as the Virgin Mary when baptizing her baby, like it was sooo good omg!! The book was very long and sometimes I had to read things over a couple times to understand it but I mean it was written a while ago, so I don't think it's Hardy's fault. The pacing was very slow, but the plot moved along reasonably and nicely. I think this is an important book that everyone should read at least once.